News Review: NSW focuses on defence and aerospace sectors | ADM Feb 2011
Gregor Ferguson | Sydney
The NSW Government has sustained its push to secure a growing share of Australia’s defence and aerospace market.
At the official launch of its Macquarie Park Defence Hub in October NSW Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development Eric Roozendaal announced the creation of a NSW Office of Defence.
The office will pursue NSW’s target of winning 30 per cent of Australia’s in-country defence spend by 2019.
It also aims to create more than 1,500 new jobs in defence-related industries by 2013, supported by a $25 million allocation under the NSW government’s Major Investment Attraction Scheme (MIAS) to attract both projects and industry investment into the state.
The NSW Government is focusing on a number of defence projects and sustainment opportunities and is promoting a number of industry and capability ‘hubs’, including a Hunter Air Combat Capability Hub centred around RAAF Base Williamtown, and a Maritime Capability Hub centred on maritime industry and naval sites in Newcastle, Sydney and Nowra.
And in early 2011, NSW Industry & Investment (formerly the Dept of State and Regional Development) expects to issue a further call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) in its Macquarie Park Defence Hub from potential developers and tenants.
In parallel, the NSW government is working with its Federal counterpart through Regional Development Australia (RDA) whose RDA Sydney office organised an Aerospace and Defence Round Table in October.
Held in Bankstown City Council Chambers, the round table resulted in the formation of three working groups – on Industry Supply Chains, Skills Development and Innovation and Industry Strategy - designed to promote and grow both industry sectors in the Sydney area.
The majority of the groups’ membership is drawn from industry but also includes representatives from NSW government departments and, industry associations and bodies such as the CSIRO.
“Tackling many of these issues requires innovative and collaborative thinking and a better understanding of the potential industry capabilities,” RDA Sydney’s Executive Officer Bob Germaine said.
“It is imperative that we act now to bring together a more collaborative aerospace and defence industry within metropolitan Sydney, which supports the attraction of more national and international business opportunities and jobs to NSW.”
The next stage will be this month when the working groups are scheduled to report back to another round table and develop a set of collaborative industry actions and strategies to pursue opportunities in the Sydney area.
Once this process is under way, Germaine will brief minister for defence materiel Jason Clare, whose Blaxland electorate embraces most of the Bankstown area and several defence companies.
The NSW Government has also funded a Defence Project Manager through the HunterNet group to help develop and promote capabilities and opportunities in both aerospace and maritime sectors.
At the University of Newcastle, a new Research Development Officer position has been created for 12 months to focus on Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects or other research applications with industry (especially SMEs) in defence and innovative manufacturing.
In next month’s NSW state election, the current odds heavily favour the Opposition, but there is strong bipartisan support for defence industry development in the state.
The NSW Nationals Leader and Shadow Minister for State Development, Andrew Stoner, wouldn’t be drawn on concrete plans but told ADM in January, “The NSW Liberals & Nationals understand the critical importance of developing the State’s defence industry.
“Defence development not only provides jobs for our state, but it attracts investment and growth in our communities.
"Under State Labor, we’ve seen major defence contracts awarded to other States.
"We will work hard to reverse this trend and ensure that NSW secures as many defence industry development projects as possible.
"If elected we’ll ensure NSW is at the forefront of the development of the nation’s defence industry.”